Holy Diagon Alley Batman!

[jenrose66]

In many ways, our family is looking forward to Hogwart's Express more so than Gringott's and may well end up being the one they want to ride over and over. Our oldest boy isn't much of a thrill-seeker anyway.

HE is what I most want to ride for one main reason: I think it has the greatest potential to be a game-changer for the Theme Park Industry: An amazingly themed "E-ticket" attraction that is also a transportation vehicle between Parks and an opportunity to up-sell Park-to-Park admissions. This is the one all the Exec's at other Parks around the world are paying the most attention to. It's a brilliant innovation for the Industry and one that wouldn't be surprising to see copied elsewhere in other forms and fashions. It really opens up all kinds of crowd flow and control possibilities,even additional revenue streams (PtP, and you can even buy food, drinks and beer for the ride) while also providing value back to the guest with an attraction.

Beyond how well they've nailed the immersion for DA - HE really is a strategic move that will get a lot of Industry study....

I was listening to the DIS Universal podcast and I thought they said the Hogwarts Express is only 4 minutes long...That seemed a little short to me. I'm also curious what the loading procedure is as far as showing your ticket, etc...

I am really enjoying this thread. I was only at Universal one time. I was 10 years old...so that was 1992...I remember next to nothing about it.

I love Harry Potter though. My kids are also really like the minions...so I am looking forward to giving Universal a try.

7 or 8 years ago I had absolutely no desire to leave Disney property. However, being a family of 5 we are just about priced out of an on property stay. I remember when we did AoA in 2012 it was about $249 a night. If we were to go this year in the same time frame the price ranges from $266 to $302 on the weekends. That's a huge increase to us.

It's like the perfect storm of Universal bringing all these great new things and Disney going from expensive to astronomically expensive (again, in my family's opinion.), that has us looking forward to leaving the Disney bubble.

 

[Sparkly]

I'm just excited to walk down Diagon Alley! The thing I've always wanted to do since I watched the first film at 7 years old. Still waiting for my Hogwarts letter.

 

[fairyprincess88]

I was listening to the DIS Universal podcast and I thought they said the Hogwarts Express is only 4 minutes long...That seemed a little short to me. I'm also curious what the loading procedure is as far as showing your ticket, etc...

The HE is about 7 minutes total from loading to unloading and yes I'd say the actual ride time is about 4 minutes. It's not a long train ride around the park but rather a fully theme transportation ride. The backstage distance the train travels is not long at all, however while on the train itself you see nothing of Universal Studios. You see the sights that Harry and crew saw every Sept 1st, including a few surprises.

As for tickets I rode during the media preview so tickets were not an issue, but a friend who was there for public softs said that they check and scan tickets at the train station and they simply scanned his annual pass. I am not positive where this took place at Kings Cross/Hogsmeade Station though, but I do know that they do have ticket places set up to upgrade one park tickets to two park tickets for those who want to do so to ride.

 

[dizzneebabe]

I stayed there a few years back. Similar to anything Disney deluxe and what a price difference. Try finding a deluxe at Disney for 165 a night! Throw in the FOTL and it truly is a no brainer!

That's what we've done in the past. We've stayed at our DVC room--with a family of 5, the space is nice! But, the FOTL is awesome, when it's needed. A couple of times we never even stepped foot in the room, just checked in to get our keys.
Totally worth it.

 

[jade1]

I see what you're getting at (but correct me if I'm wrong).

They definitely validate the hopper to let you get in line and board, and it's definitely another valid park entry for the first trip over. Do they count each one as a park entry if you ride it multiple times? Hard to say. That's always been the issue I've had with attendance figures from all Theme Parks - too much grey area that's undefined. I mean, if we go back to BWI from EPCOT for our afternoon break and re-enter only for Illuminations (or if we leave IOA to have lunch at CityWalk and return), are we re-counted and added to the attendance figure? If we spend all day at MK and just go over to EPCOT for 2 hours for dinner should that really be counted? It's why top-line revenue and profitability growth YTY mean so much more than just looking at or comparing attendance figures, IMHO. Slippery slope.....

I don't consider that even close compared to walking out one park and into the other and back and forth like US/IOA's proximity provides. I can easily see doing IOA and then just the new Rip Rocket at US only.

But this is a whole new level.

If every time you rode the mine train added a park entry-that would move MK from 17 million a year to about 25 million. 4 would make it about 50 million?

I haven't heard for sure, but if you only went over to US to ride the train both ways (as each has different scenes) and then left, one ride might be 5 park entries.

1) swipe into US
2) swipe to get on the train (prove you have a hopper)
3) swipe to get into IOA (unless they just let you walk in)
4) swipe to get back on the train (prove you have a hopper)
5) swipe to get back into US (unless they just let you walk in)

Sounds hard to believe-and I currently can't really believe that-but hoping somebody can walk through and find out.

 

[Mad Hattered]

I don't consider that even close compared to walking out one park and into the other and back and forth like US/IOA's proximity provides. I can easily see doing IOA and then just the new Rip Rocket at US only.

But this is a whole new level.

If every time you rode the mine train added a park entry-that would move MK from 17 million a year to about 25 million. 4 would make it about 50 million?

I haven't heard for sure, but if you only went over to US to ride the train both ways (as each has different scenes) and then left, one ride might be 5 park entries.

1) swipe into US
2) swipe to get on the train (prove you have a hopper)
3) swipe to get into IOA
4) swipe to get back on the train (prove you have a hopper)
5) swipe to get back into US

Sounds hard to believe-and I currently can't really believe that-but hoping somebody can walk through and find out.

I'm pretty positive that the only scan that will count towards attendance would be the initial entry into either park and then the one when you board the train to come back to the initial land you entered.

 

[jade1]

The HE is about 7 minutes total from loading to unloading and yes I'd say the actual ride time is about 4 minutes. It's not a long train ride around the park but rather a fully theme transportation ride. The backstage distance the train travels is not long at all, however while on the train itself you see nothing of Universal Studios. You see the sights that Harry and crew saw every Sept 1st, including a few surprises.

As for tickets I rode during the media preview so tickets were not an issue, but a friend who was there for public softs said that they check and scan tickets at the train station and they simply scanned his annual pass. I am not positive where this took place at Kings Cross/Hogsmeade Station though, but I do know that they do have ticket places set up to upgrade one park tickets to two park tickets for those who want to do so to ride.

Sounds pretty efficient.

Did you also need to scan your pass to get on? Or did you scan earlier and then walk in line-speeding up the ultimate boarding process.

 

[jade1]

I'm pretty positive that the only scan that will count towards attendance would be the initial entry into either park and then the one when you board the train to come back to the initial land you entered.

See, I'm not the smartest-I can't even follow what you just said.

So you think you scan into US. Then you can take a one way trip to IOA, leave and go home-and that will result in one park entry?

 

[johde]

For me, the last time Disney really hit it out of the park with an innovative, superbly themed attraction was ToT. I don't think they've come close to doing anything as well since. Mission Space was innovative, but is a terrible ride imho. TSMM...I'll never understand that one. It's basically a video game, not that much different than you could play on your sofa at home. Having moving 'sofas' that move to a different TV every now and then seems more silly than innovative. Can't deny that it's super popular and great fun though.

I would totally agree with you. ToT was Disney's last innovative home run. Mission Space was supposed to be Epcot's ToT. They swung for the fences and ended up with an ugly looking single. An innovative ride where the most innovative part has had to be tamed down on one side and completely removed from the other. For me, you ended up with a ride I enjoy but really need to watch. The first time I rode it, I felt off for hours. But at least part of that was the hype. The rest of it wasn't so much the spinning as the simulated crash landing.

Innovative and good aren't always the same thing. You can build a great ride that's not innovative in the least. For example, Splash Mountain, a ride that epitomises what a Disney ride should be. Great theming (when everything works), a little bit of thrills (but not so much my mom wouldn't ride it) all wrapped up with a happy ending at the end. Sometimes an innovative ride can fall flat like Mission Space. They built a ride too extreme for their audience.

What a large number of people want from Disney and Universal is to give them an experience they can't get anywhere else. To me, that normally means going something innovative or something great; preferably both.

For example, Little Mermaid in my books is a good dark ride. The problem is I can get a good dark ride for a whole lot less money closer to home. From Disney I expect a great dark ride, especially from one with very little in the way of innovation.

 

[jade1]

I would totally agree with you. ToT was Disney's last innovative home run.

Disney's? Or WDW's?

 

[Mad Hattered]

See, I'm not the smartest-I can't even follow what you just said.

So you think you scan into US. Then you can take a one way trip to IOA, leave and go home-and that will result in one park entry?

Hmmmm...I don't know the answer to that. Since you are forced to get off the train in the other park (no round trip rides) I think the attendance will be counted in the initial park you enter and then on your first train ride (since you will automatically be forced into the other park).

 

[jade1]

Hmmmm...I don't know the answer to that. Since you are forced to get off the train in the other park (no round trip rides) I think the attendance will be counted in the initial park you enter and then on your first train ride (since you will automatically be forced into the other park).

Agreed. And they do not know if you are doing a round trip-so certainly you have to scan in again after touring IOA to go back to US to make sure you have a hopper-so at least 3 park entries for one ride right?

Unless you think US will recognize the pass number and delete that re-entry, including 5 more round trips if you want.-I highly doubt they will release that "gray" info though. You currently can go out the front gates and back 5 times as well, but that's a lot less likely/common than simply taking a new attraction train ride. Unless you think they delete those park entries as well.

 

[DisUniversal]

Disney's? Or WDW's?

I would say WDW, but by Disney do you mean "Disney theme parks" or Disney as a whole? For the later I'd say that the cruise line was a huge home run. For the parks...I'd say Cars Land and DisneySea since ToT but can't think of anything else.

 

[johde]

I don't consider that even close compared to walking out one park and into the other and back and forth like US/IOA's proximity provides. I can easily see doing IOA and then just the new Rip Rocket at US only.

But this is a whole new level.

If every time you rode the mine train added a park entry-that would move MK from 17 million a year to about 25 million. 4 would make it about 50 million?

I haven't heard for sure, but if you only went over to US to ride the train both ways (as each has different scenes) and then left, one ride might be 5 park entries.

1) swipe into US
2) swipe to get on the train (prove you have a hopper)
3) swipe to get into IOA (unless they just let you walk in)
4) swipe to get back on the train (prove you have a hopper)
5) swipe to get back into US (unless they just let you walk in)

Sounds hard to believe-and I currently can't really believe that-but hoping somebody can walk through and find out.

From a swiping perspective, when you swipe to get in line for the train that's it. You don't swipe again when you exit. That would be like Disneyland making you swipe to get on the monorail at Downtown Disney then making you swipe again as you exit into Tomorrowland.

 

[jade1]

From a swiping perspective, when you swipe to get in line for the train that's it. You don't swipe again when you exit. That would be like Disneyland making you swipe to get on the monorail at Downtown Disney then making you swipe again as you exit into Tomorrowland.

Each way though correct?

So one round trip on HE is 3 park entries?

 

[fairyprincess88]

Sounds pretty efficient.

Did you also need to scan your pass to get on? Or did you scan earlier and then walk in line-speeding up the ultimate boarding process.

From what my friend just explained to me they scanned their pass to enter Hogsmeade, and that before boarding the train they were checked that they had the correct media to enter IOA.

Also since your were asking about the train affecting daily attendance counts.
I also recall that some media folks were discussing how this would affect attendance numbers with people scanning in and out to ride HE during the media event. If I remember correctly what I heard was that the ticket scan only counts once per ticket. Meaning that if you use your ticket to enter the Studios then travel to IOA on the HE then your ticket will be scanned for one day entry into the Studios and then one day entry into IOA(just as park hoppers have always done) any other back and forth HE trips do not count in daily attendance counts. Basically only the first initial scans count, any other scans are no more than basic reentry scans similar to if you left to go into City Walk for lunch or back to the hotel for a break. If that makes sense.

 

[jade1]

I would say WDW, but by Disney do you mean "Disney theme parks" or Disney as a whole? For the later I'd say that the cruise line was a huge home run. For the parks...I'd say Cars Land and DisneySea since ToT but can't think of anything else.

Yes that's what I meant, WDW is slacking IMO-but not Disney Parks overall, at least since TOT at WDW anyway.

 

[tracygraves1]

What does FOTL stand for it is not on the Acryonym list..... I feel like I can't go a thread without having to look up an acryonym. NO MORE SHORTENING PLEASE

 

[FLchick415]

FOTL stands for "Front Of The Line", referring to Universal's Express Pass

 

[johde]

Disney's? Or WDW's?

For the most part, I would say WDW. That's not to say WDW hasn't hit home runs or come close to hitting home runs since then. Their home runs, for the most part, have been built around a core of proven technologies. If the Yeti was working, I'd rank EE a home run. As it is, it's still a stand up triple. For a restaurant, Be Our Guest is a home run. These weren't necessarily groundbreaking in terms of innovation. But in both cases, instead of stopping at good, they shot for great.

Around the world, Poohs Hunny Hunt in TDL is an innovative hit. And, Mystic Manor at HDL further refined and expanded on the innovation.